The examination will be of multiple-choice, closed-book format consisting of 150 questions. It has been designed to provide ample time for the typical applicant to analyze and respond to all examination items without time pressure–and it is recommended that each item be answered.
The exam is administered in two 3 hour sessions with a break in between.
| Subject Domains/Subdomains | Approximate Number of Questions |
| Land use and transportation relationships | |
| Understand the function of the transportation system by using current accepted practices to describe the relationships among the built environment, transport policies, and travel behavior. | 10 |
| Needs assessment for short- and long-range planning | |
| Measure multimodal network physical assets, usage, safety experience, traveler behaviors, and travel patterns by integrating standard data collection tools (e.g., video logs, traffic counts, online surveys) with emerging information sets (e.g., wireless GPS tracking, technology vendors, wikimapping), protocols, and reporting standards to inform assessments of system performance and traveler needs. | 8 |
| Forecast socioeconomic variables that influence travel demand (e.g., location and numbers of households and jobs, household size/income, vehicle availability, industry NAICS codes for employment, goods movement, operating costs/fees, shared economy and other shifting behavioral changes) by using accepted forecasting tools, methods, and protocols to establish a foundation for transportation demand modeling processes. | 7 |
| Assess current and forecasted travel patterns and tripmaking behavior by using accepted methods and tools (e.g., household travel surveys for origin-destination and trip purpose, travel demand model outputs) to identify baseline and future travel conditions. |
8 |
| Interpret the results of travel analyses by using accepted methods of performance-based planning (e.g., crash analyses and modal level/quality of service assessments) to identify transportation needs across modes and geographic scales. | 9 |
| Transportation system planning for short- and long-range goals | |
| Develop a short- or long-range transportation plan that follows an accepted process (e.g., goals, objectives, alternatives development, evaluation and recommendations) to guide decisions about investment compatibility with existing policy. | 8 |
| Identify the appropriate elements to be included in a multimodal transportation system plan (e.g., safety, mobility, freight, security, management, operations, intelligent transportation systems [ITS]) reflecting statewide or community goals and objectives. | 8 |
| Design and conduct comprehensive public and stakeholder engagement programs that leverage the variety of outreach techniques to produce plans that are responsive to the needs of all constituents. | 8 |
| Facilitate effective collaboration among planners and engineers toward implementing projects by providing guidance on locally applicable best practices of multimodal transportation engineering. | 8 |
| Develop plans that reflect the diverse needs of all system users by using best practices of multimodal analysis and design to achieve the appropriate quality of service for each mode. | 8 |
| Transportation system evaluation | |
| Develop and apply system performance measures and evaluation methods by using analytic techniques to quantify existing conditions, identify gaps and deficiencies, support alternatives analysis, and prioritize investments. | 8 |
| Develop and evaluate alternative potential investment and policy strategies by using appropriate analytic techniques to support the selection of preferred solutions for long-range system plans and subarea studies. | 8 |
| Determine how to accommodate the multimodal travel demand generated by land use concepts by using known strategies (e.g., transportation demand management [TDM], capital improvements, transportation systems management [TSM]) to minimize undesirable environmental and community consequences. | 7 |
| Public policy | |
| Recognize how public policy elements that serve social and institutional needs (e.g., equity, environmental justice, prioritization, sustainability, resilience, livability, adaptability to evolving technologies and services) influence the content of plans in their ability to meet the transportation needs of all users. | 6 |
| Determine the impact of applicable public policy and regulations (e.g., local codes, regional compacts, federal law) on the ability of transportation systems to meet the needs of users. | 6 |
| Identify opportunities and limitations of traditional and alternative funding sources (e.g., grants, public private partnerships [P3], user fees, taxes) to efficiently implement plans and programs. | 6 |
| Environmental analysis | |
| Analyze the environmental impact of transportation systems, projects, and actions by using required processes (e.g., quantitative assessments, regulatory standards and practices, public involvement, agency coordination) to identify opportunities to avoid and minimize negative consequences for the natural and built environment. | 7 |
| Plan implementation | |
| Use transparent evaluation methods to develop an implementation program that sets investment priorities and identifies funding sources and agency responsibilities. | 7 |
| Establish a set of appropriate implementation strategies (e.g., construction, TSM and operations, safety, security, TDM) by using accepted methods to achieve transportation plan goals and objectives. | 6 |
| Conduct transportation system performance monitoring to assess plan effectiveness, inform the next generation of transportation plans, and consider evolution of performance measures, goals, and targets. | 7 |